High school coaching experience

   My high school coaching experience began back in 2009 helping out my then high school club the South Bay exiles RFC. That first year was my learning year, some people have it come natural to them others have to learn to adjust them selfs from player mode to teacher mode. There where times where i found my self 5-10 yards in the playing field yelling at the players and the other team if I saw a bad call or foul move. I thank God that my high school coach was still there and in fact I owe all my rugby love to him for showing me and helping me learn this amazing sport. How I coach and speak with the players today I owe so much to him.

   My second chance came in 2011 when I and my best friend who I developed a closer bond with due to rugby along with our coach were attending a funeral service for one of our coaches who had passed away in August of that year, as you can probably tell since he was a rugby coach there was quite a few rugby coaches and players from the area who also attended with us. After the service we congregated outside where there I approached a man named Chris fisher who was speaking about starting a high school club, there this man offered me a position as assistant in our first year . I practically jumped I was so excited for a opportunity to help out. You see this is the thing I love most about rugby here in America, yea it's frustrating that we are not paid but in the end we who coach, referee or help set up playing fields. We do it because we love it and in the end it doesn't not matter what the price is. The number one question I get asked all the time is of course do you get paid for that? And I tell them NO with a proud smile on. Just to maybe one day see a player making a name for him self later on in life playing is enough joy to sit back and say, yup I coached him and taught him or her that.

   My first year with this new high school club was another learning experience. I had to learn along with the players a new playing system and style of the head coach. Our HC came from Italy and played D2 rugby over there, His way of coaching was a bit different and along with what exactly he wanted done was also hard to comprehend. But in the end we suffered the same growing pains as every club does in There first year, players quitting and practice fields being shorter managed to get through it. Now entering our 2nd year as a high school program we are rebuilding. As a u19 program we are also part of the Los gatos youth rugby, under us we have u8-u14. This year we have several freshmen and are a very young team. Doing the smart thing we opted to play as a JV squad this year in the Northern California competition. This years club maybe small in size and numbers but I have full faith in being competitive in every game and winning a few this year. We have added two more coaches and are building a relationship with the younger grade coaches as to help prepare the players as they move up the age system.

   I personally have found it effective that a shouting angry coach does not help, I like to creat relationships with each player and give praise if they do something correct yet when something goes wrong whether its a bad line out pass or bad kick to touch I stop them, ask for what they think went wrong. Offer my input and let them fix it and we watch to see if it was done correct the next time. In the end you want to show these players regardless if they are cross over or had been playing for x amount of years that we are a different class of coaches and athletes and are not like there football or basketball coaches. That we are willing to work one on one with them to help them get better. In the end if I were given the chance to coach football and be paid along with all the glory , I'd choose rugby and settle for no money and no recognition. If I can inspire and change just one players life then mission accomplished.